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jfl/a er ATTORNEYS l Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET DELIVERY MECHANISM Charles W. Harrold, University Heights, and

Application June 15, 1938, Serial No. 213,860

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet delivery mechanism, and has reference particularly to meansfor slowing down the rate of travel of the sheets after they reach the pile on the delivery board and before they strike the stops at the forward end of the delivery board in order to eifect a smooth easy descent of the sheet onto the pile and elimination of damage and trouble such as result in the conventional delivery mechanism from the rebounding of stiff sheets and the crumpling of thin sheets when they strike the forward stops of the delivery board.

In printing machines it is common practice to provide a conveyor which takes the printed sheets from the press and transfers them to the top of a pile at some distance from the printing point. This conveyor usually consists of endless chains at either side of the machine, which chains support a series of gripper bars at appropriate intervals, which bars carry the sheets. In modern high-speed presses the delivery conveyor must necessarily be operated at high speed. As speeds increase the difficulty experienced in depositing a sheet upon the pile increases owing to the sudden deceleration of the sheet from full speed to a full stop on the pile. If a sheet traveling at high speed is simply released by the grippers and allowed to strike against stationary stops its forward edge may be damaged. Furthermore, the momentum of the sheet may be such as to cause it to bend or double over and occupy a position on the pile such that it cannot be later knocked into position by the joggers ordinarily provided.

One of the objects of the present invention therefore is to overcome the diiculties `above mentioned.

Another object is vthe provision of sheet decelerating means acting upon the sheet near its tail end.

Another object is the provision of decelerating means which shall maintain control of the sheet from its tail end after the grippers at the forward end have released it.

A further object is the provision of means of this character which shall be readily adjustable to accommodate sheets of dierent lengths.

Another object is the provision of decelerating means engaging the lower or unprinted side of the sheet, and more particularly the provision of sucker means thus arranged so that while the sheet is engaged both by the grippers and the decelerating means there may be slippage to accommodate any difference in speed of travel between the grippers and the decelerating means.

Still another object is to provide a mechanism which may be made to seize the sheet while traveling at the same speed as the sheet, and to thereafter decelerate it and deposit it in a desired location.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as we proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, we have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevational fragmentary view of a heet delivery mechanism embodying the invenion.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a sheet gripped by decelerating suckers and about to be released by the grippers on the endless conveyor.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the sheet after it has been released by the grippers and is moving forward at a decelerating rate of speed under control of the decelerating suckers, the suckers being lowered somewhat below their original level.

Fig. 4 is a further similar view of a sheet at substantiallythe end of its forward travel, the suckers being then swungl down to their lowest level to bring the tail end of the sheet close to the pile, and the suction being about to be broken.

Fig. 5 is a plan view on a larger scale showing the decelerating suckers and the rear pile joggers.

Fig. 6 is a. vertical sectional detail-view on a larger scale taken` substantially on the line 6-8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on the same scale as Fig. 6, the view being taken substantially on the line 'l-'l of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a cross section taken substantially on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view showing adjustment means located at the opposite side of the machine from Fig. '7.

In the drawings I0 indicates a side frame member of Which there are` two in the machine spaced apart approximately the width of the printing press with which they are employed. These portedby the board increases in depth. all of which being well known is omitted from the drawings. I

A chain conveyor comprising two endless chains I3 runs over sprockets ifi, one at each side of the machine and both keyed or otherwise fastened to a transverse shaft I5. One run of each chain also engages a sprocket wheel I6, the two sprockets' i6 being carried by a shaft I1 `lournaled in the frame members or brackets attached thereto. The other run extends over a suitably curved track I 8. The press end of the conveyor is not herein illustrated, but it is to be understood that it is connected in the usual way to the press to receive sheets from the impression cylinder thereof, and is driven at a speed synchronized with that of the press.

At the outer end of the delivery board i2 there are provided a series of sheet stops i9 supported upon a cross shaft 2@ in the usual manner, and a series of stripper fingers 2i which are supported upon a cross shaft 22 and operated periodically in the usual manner to deflect downwardly the forward edge of each sheet when it has been released by the conveyor grippers.

Near the inner end of the delivery board i2 and occupying an adjustable position depending upon-the length of the sheet being handled is a jogger plate or plates 23 operated in a manner to be later described, which plate or plates serve to shift the sheets slightly upon the pile to bring them into uniform position against the stops I9. 'I'he usual side joggers may be provided also, but since they do not form a part of the present invention they are not herein illustrated.

Shaft I1 which carries sprockets I6 also has keyed thereto a gear 25 which drives two other gears 26 and 21 supported on studs 28 and 29, respectively, carried by the frame members.` Se cured to gear 26 is a cam 36 which controls the operation of a lever 3| pivoted at 32 in the frame of the press 'and held against the cam by a spring 33. Lever 3| engages a pin 34 of a sliding valve 35. The valve 35 controls the making and breaking of suction in line 36, which is connected through the valve to the suction supply line 31. Sprocket I6 and gears 25 and 26 are so proportioned in relation to the speed of the conveyor that cam 30 operates the valve 35 to make and break suction in the line 36 once for each sheet carried by the conveyorover the delivery board I2.

Secured to gear 21, which is similar in size to gear 26 andv therefore rotates once for each sheet carried to the delivery board, is another cam 38 which controls the movement of a lever 38 pivoted at 40 in the frame and pressed against the cam by spring 4I. The lever 39 has a pivot and slot connection with the upper end of a long rectangular bar 42 which is supportedvin and guided by a slot 43 in a bracket 44 that is bolted to the inner side of one of the frame members I0, the bar 42 being supported Aand guided at its outer end by a slot 45 in av bracket 46 also secured to theframe member. The cam 38 imparts a forward and backward movement to the bar 42 each time a sheetis carried over the board I2 by the conveyor, and preferably the cam 38 is so formed as to cause the forward movement of the bar -42 to approximatajfor a portion of its travel, the speed of a sheet carried by the conveyor. At the remote side of the machine there is a bar 42' correspondingin all operate both bars it will be understood that' brackets and 46, cam lever 39, cam 38, and gears 21 and 25 are duplicated on each side of the machine.

Near the inner end of delivery board I2 and slidably supported to move with the bars 42 and 42' are a pair of depending brackets 48 and 48' shown in detail in Figs. 'Z and 9. These brackets are held in place on the bars d2 and t2' by cover plates 49 and 69', and may be held in any desired position lengthwise of the bars t2 and @12' by means of the thumb screws 56 and 56. The lower ends of the brackets it and lti' are provided with extensions 5I and 5I to which are fastened the ends of a crosswise support 52 consisting, in the present embodiment of the inven= tion, of an angle bar which serves to join the brackets d8 and ftd' together rigidly, to carry logger plates 23 and to support the forward ends of tapes 53. The jogger plates 23 are preferably made vertically adjustable on the bar 52. For this purpose they may be provided with undercut vertical guides 66 which are engaged by a T-bar 81 that is clamped to the angle bar 52 by screws 36 or the like, see Fig. 5.

The tapes 53 extend rearwardly from angle bar 52 and run over an idler 68 and downward to a weight or weights @d by which the horizontal portion of each tape is maintained taut. To the ar of the horizontal portion of tapes 53 there is a metal guard QI, the forward portion of which is flush with the tapes. This guard 8l, together with the tapes 53, serves to support and guide the rear portions of each sheet as it moves upwardly and forwardly toward the delivery board. The tapes 53 provide a sheet support varying in length to compensate for different adjustments of the delivery mechanism to suit sheets of different lengths.

The lower extremities of brackets 48 also rotatably support the ends of a hollow shaft 54. This shaft carries at Aintervals along its length a series of suckers 55 which are clamped to the Ishaft in the required position by means of a split collar and a screw 56. 'I'hese suckers have at their outer ends sucker mouths 51 which are connected by passages 58 and holes 58 in the shaft 54 to the central passage of that shaft. The shaft is plugged at one end, as indicated at 93, and at the other end is joined by a fitting 68 to the fiexible hose 6I which connects with the intermediate suction line 36.

Adjacent to one of the brackets 48 and clamped by a screw 62 to the hollow shaft 54 is an arm 63, the outer end of which is pivoted to a rod 64. At its upper end thisrod is connected by nuts 65 to a noddle pin 66 carried in the outer end of an arm 61 which is pivotally mounted at its opposite end on a stud 68 carried by the bracket 48. The arm 61 carries a spindle 68 upon which is rotatably mounted a rounded roller 1I that bears upon the under side of a long flat plate 1I set into and secured to a shaft 12 which is rotatably supported at its ends in the brackets 44 and 46. The upper end of bracket 48 is provided with a boss 13 in which is mounted a stud' 14. On the latter there is rotatably mounted a concave roller 15 which bears against the upper side of the shaft 12 to steady the latter and prevent undesirable deflection which might tend to -arise because of the roller 1I) bearing against the plateTI midway between the supports for shaft 12. Rotation'of shaft 12 in the anti-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 6 and 7, tends to depress rod 64 against the action of a tension spring 85 that is secured at its upper end to a pin mounted in bracket 48, and at its lower end to the free extremity of arm 53. At the same time hollow shaft 54 is swung through a predetermined angle anti-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1. When force tending to rotate shaft 12 in the anti-clockwise direction is removed, however, spring 85 raises arm 63, causing roller` 10 to revolve plate 1| and shaft 12 in the clockwise direction and at the same time swinging shaft 54 clockwise in Fig. 1 to carry the suckers down toward the pile.

Near that end of shaft 12 which is mounted in bracket 46 there is an arm 16, shown in detail in Fig. 6, which carries a noddle pin Il adjustably secured by nuts 'I8 to the upper end of a rod 19, the lower end of which is cr nnected to a lever 00 pivotally mounted on a stud.v 8| secured in the depending portion of bracket 46. The lever 00 carries a cam roller 92 which bears against the under surface of a cam 83 secured by screws or the like 84 to the reciprocating bar 42. If desired this connection may be made variable to provide for adjustment of the cam lengthwise of the bar.

In order to facilitate the adjustment of the two brackets 4B and 48' with the mechanism carried thereby lengthwise of the bars 42 and 42', we form those bars for a portion of their length with rack teeth |00 and |00' on their lower surfaces. These teeth mesh with pinions |0| and |0I mounted within the brackets 48v and 48' respectively, which pinions mesh with other pinions |02 and |02', While the latter pinions mesh with pinions |03 and |03' which are keyed to a shaft |04 that is journaled in the extensions 5| and 5|' of the brackets. At the remote side of the machine shaft |04 projects beyond bracket 49' and has keyed thereto a knurled wheel or knob |05 by means of which it may be rotated. When it is desired to adjust the brackets 48 and 48' so as to suit the machine to sheets of different lengths, the operator merely loosens the two thumb screws 50 and 50', after which he turns knob |05 to cause pinions |0| and |0| to run upon the rack teeth of the two bars 42 and 42', thereby shifting the brackets along the bars to Whatever extent may be necessary. When the desired adjustment has been accomplished the screws 50 and 50' are again tightened.

Operation-Somewhat prior to the time when a given set of grippers 92 have carried a sheet nearly to the position which it is desired to have the sheet occupy uponithe board I2, the suckers 55 are brought to their raised position, shown in Fig. 8, when they are slightly higher than the cross bar 52, so that a sheet of paper indicated at S is dragged by the grippers across the surface of the sucker mouths. As the tail end of the sheet nears the sucker mouths, suction is applied by the valve 35 and the suckers grip the under surface of the sheet. This condition is illustrated in Fig. 2. The suckers thentravel forward with the sheet so that the latter is gripped both by vthe suckers and by the grippers 92 for a short Spring 85 thereupon swings arm 63 upward, raising rod 64, which swings shaft 12 clockwise.

At the same time hollow shaft 54 is revolved clockwise, as viewed in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, or anti-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 8. The suckers thereupon move forward with the jogger plates for a short distance, when the grippers 92 are opened by a stationary cam 95 acting upon a roller 96Jat the end of an arm 91 attached to a shaft 90 upon which the gripper fingers 92 are mounted. The control of the sheet is then transferred to the suckers E5. The forward movement lof the latter is then decelerated and at the saine time the sucker mouths are lowered about shaft 54 as a center, so that the tail end of the sheet is carried forwardly and downwardly onto the pile.

In Fig. 3 the suckers are midway of their forward movement and the grippers 92 have released the forward edge of the sheet which therefore drops onto the pile. In Fig. 4 the suckers have completed their forward and downward movement and are about to release their suction grip on the sheet. When released by the suckers the sheet may not be in its desired exact location, that is with its forward edge against the stops I9, but the next movement of the jogger plates 22 will jog the sheet forward into position while the next succeeding sheet is being decelerated and laid upon the pile in the position formerly occupied by the preceding one.

By the mechanism described it is possible to completely avoid contact of the forward edge of the sheet with the stops I9 and with the surface of the stripper fingers 2| when the sheet is de posited upon the pile, thus avoiding any possibility of marring this edge of the sheet. thermore, by gradually decelerating the sheet and laying it upon the pile by its rear edge the momentum of the sheet is overcome and its tenden cy to fold or roll up is avoided. In addition to this, the action of the suckers in positively lowering the tail end of the sheet is very advantageous, since it avoids any possibility of the tail end of the sheet interfering with the conveyor or with the leading edge of the next sheet. Furthermore, by mounting the suckers and jogging mechanism to move together a simplified congagement with the forward edge of each sheet, a

pile jogger at the rear edge of the delivery board, means for reciprocating said pile jogger, sheet decelerating means attached to and mounted to move with said jogger, said decelerating means being adapted to engage each sheet `near the tail end thereof, said jogger operating means being driven to decelerate as the jogger approaches the forward end of its travel, means for releasing the grippers after the decelerating means 'engages the sheet, and means for releasing the sheet fromV said decelerating means substantially at the end of the forward travel of the sheet.

-2. In a sheet delivery mechanism for printing machines and the like, an endless conveyor, a delivery board over which the conveyor runs, sheet grippers carried by the conveyor for engagement with the forward edge of each sheet, means for engaging the tailend of each sheet and arranged to move forward at a gradually decelerating rate, said means being adjustable towardand away from the forward end of the deliveryv board in order to maintain a desired relation to the tail edge of sheets of different lengths, driving means effective in all positions of adjustment for actuating said decelerating means in a given time relation to the cycle of said machine, and means for releasing the grippers after the tail end of the sheet has been thus engaged.

3. In sheet delivery mechanism for printing machines and the like, an endless conveyor, sheet grippers carried thereby for engagement with the forward edge of each sheet, sheet decelerating means comprising a transverse shaft and. suckers carried thereby for engagement with the tail end of each sheet, a longitudinally extending reciprocating bar by which said sheet decelerating means is moved forward, and means actuated by the forward travel of the bar for oscillating said shaft, whereby the suckers are caused to swing downwardly as they move forwardly.

4. In sheet delivery mechanism for printing machines and the like, an endless conveyor, sheet grippers carried thereby for engagement with theforward edge of each sheet, sheet decelerating means comprising a transverse shaft and suckers carried thereby for engagement with the tail end of each sheet, a longitudinally extending reciprocating bar by which said sheet decelerating means is moved forward, and means for adjusting said sheet decelerating means longitudinally of said bar.

5. In sheet delivery mechanism for printing machines and the like, an endless conveyor, sheet grippers carried thereby for engagement with the forward edge of each sheet, sheet decelerat ing means comprising a transverse shaft and suckers carried thereby for engagement with the tail end of each sheet, a longitudinally extending reciprocating bar by which said sheet decelerating means is moved forwardmeans for adjusting said sheet decelerating means longitudinally of said bar, and means actuated by the .forward travel of the bar for oscillating said shaft, whereby the suckers are caused to swing downwardly as they move forwardly.

6. In sheet delivery mechanism for printing machines and the like, an endless conveyor, sheet grippers carried thereby for engagement with the forward edge of each sheet, sheet decelerating means comprising a transverse shaft and suckers carried thereby for engagement with the tail end of each sheet, a longitudinally extending reciprocating bar by which said sheet decelerating means is moved forward, a rock shaft arranged Vparallel with said bar, means actuated by the forward travel of the bar for oscillating said rock shaft, and means actuated by said rock shaft for turning said transverse shaft through a predetermined angle to swing said suckers downwardly as they move forwardly.

7. In sheet delivery mechanism for printing machines and the like, an endless conveyor, sheet grippers carried thereby for engagement with the forward edge of each sheet, two longitudinally extending bars on opposite sides of the machine,

means for reciprocating said bars together, a

forward edge of each sheet, two longitudinally extending bars on opposite sides of the machine, slide bearings for the ends of said bars, means for reciprocating said bars together, a cross frame carried by said bars, sheet decelerating means comprising sheet gripping means carried by said cross frame for engagement with the tail end of each sheet, said bars having rack teeth along a middle portion of the length thereof, pinions carried by the cross frame for engagement with said racks, and means for rotating said pinions simultaneously for adjusting both ends of said cross frame on said bars to compensate for sheets of different lengths.

9. In sheet delivery mechanism for printing machines and the like, an endless conveyor, sheet grlppers carried thereby for engagement with the forward edge of each sheet, a longitudinally reciprocating bar, a transverse shaft, suckers car-I ried thereby for engagement with the tail end of each sheet, said shaftbeing mechanically connected with said bar for movement therewith, the forward movement of said bar during reciprocation being at a gradually decelerating rate after the suckers have gripped a sheet, and means for adjusting the said shaft lengthwise of the bar to accommodatesheets of different lengths.

10. In sheet delivery mechanism for printing machines and the like, an` endless conveyor, sheet grippers carried thereby for engagement with the forward edge of each sheet, a longitudinally reciprocating bar, a transverse shaft, suckers carried thereby for engagement with the tail end of each sheet, a pile jogger for engagement with the rear end of the pile, said shaft and said pile jogger being mechanically connected with said bar for reciprocation therewith, the movement of said bar on its forward stroke being at a gradually decelerating rate after the suckers have gripped a sheet, and means for adjusting the said shaft and jogger simultaneously lengthwise of the bar to accommodate sheets of different lengths.

11. In sheet delivery mechanism for a printing or like machine, the combination with a sheet conveyor having grlppers engaging the front end of a sheet, a delivery board for receiving sheets from the conveyor, and means operating in a given relation to the cycle of the machine to release a sheet from the grippers to the delivery board, of a guide for the rear end of the sheets, sheet decelerating means arranged to move in the direction of sheet travel, grasp the rear end of a sheet while still held by the front end grippers, decelerate the sheet after the same is released by the front end grippers, and release the sheet while substantially stationary, said sheet guide and sheet decelerating means being adjustable lengthwise of the conveyor to permit cooperation thereof with the rear ends of sheets of different lengths, and means arranged to operate said sheet decelerating means in all positions of adjustment thereof in a given relation to the cycle of the machine.

12. In sheet delivery mechanism for a printing or other machine, the combination with a sheet conveyor having grippers engaging the front end of successive sheets, a delivery board for receiving sheets from the conveyor, and means operating in a given relation to the cycle of the machine to release successive sheets from the grippers to the delivery board to form a stack thereon, of a pile jogger for the rear end of the sheets, sheet decelerating means arranged to move in the direction of sheet travel, grasp the rear end of a sheet while still held by the front end grippers.- deand means arranged to operate said pile :logger and said sheet decelerating means in all positions of adjustment thereof in a. given relation to the cycle of the machine.

CHARLES W. HARROLD. v ARTHUR B. WOODRUFF. 

